Thirteen Reasons Why is the newest Netflix show to create buzz on social media. The show, based on the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, has an extremely heavy plot that deals with teen suicide. By tackling such a sensitive issue, there’s no wonder it has stirred conversation all over social media.
When I searched the hashtag #ThirteenReasonsWhy, I immediately noticed an overwhelming amount of positive tweets praising the show for it’s honesty. In particular, I found one overarching theme of people recommending the show to others.
If you're a high school student, I encourage you to watch #ThirteenReasonsWhy. Eye opening.
— Lamar (@b_rivs19) April 12, 2017
#ThirteenReasonsWhy is simply amazing. Please go watch it. #netflix
— Will Write For Boots (@WriteForBoots) April 2, 2017
I have to commend everyone involved in #ThirteenReasonsWhy it is incredibly honest and complex. I highly recommend watching it!
— Mel Dani (@meldhicks23) April 2, 2017
I found this very important because a main reason for something to gain popularity nowadays is through word of mouth and recommendations. In other words, if your friends (and the whole online world) are telling you to watch something, it’s going to make you more inclined to do so.
Other positive tweets included people reminiscing on the novel that the show was created from.
#ThirteenReasonsWhy is making me want to reread every YA novel I've ever read
— maddie polonus (@MaddiePolonus) April 2, 2017
Although they’re definitely the minority, those who spoke negatively of #ThirteenReasonsWhy had found the interpretation of the novel to be disappointing.
Watching #ThirteenReasonsWhy. So many flaws in the plot I can't even
— Naomi Bressan (@naomaccia) April 2, 2017
#ThirteenReasonsWhy was so much easier to read than to watch.
— Máñïàç. 🌐 (@shirvani_mariam) April 2, 2017
Overall, there was definitely more positive than conversation surrounding the show and the hashtag #ThirteenReasonsWhy. The people who disagreed with the praise of the new Netflix show were simply favoriting the book.
This is an awesome topic you chose– I personally love Thirteen Reasons Why and the original book! I binge watched the entire series in the first two days. It’s interesting you say you’ve pretty much only heard positive views– I’ve been noticing more in the media backlash against the show, and it’s not just about how the TV show didn’t do the book justice. It’s about painting suicide in a romantic or positive light– some people are concerned about how it might cause some viewers to be copycats of the main character Hannah Baker. If I were to critique your post, I’d just add that you should throw in that viewpoint too. I really agree with one of the tweets, that the TV series was harder to watch than reading the book, with the extremely graphic suicide scene where the producers really didn’t hold back. This is what the producers are standing by– that the suicide scene was so graphic that it wouldn’t cause people to want to do it. Overall, great post!
This was a great topic to write this post about because my friends and I are all obsessed with this series. I had read the book many years ago, and although I didn’t remember it well, the plot holes were obvious. However, I am a fan of the show and appreciate the spins that they have included. I understand the loyal readers being upset, but the show needed to add some material to contribute to serious topics of sexual assault and suicide. I will definitely continue watching!
This was a great topic to discuss considering how prominent this adaptation is on social media right now. I think what’s interesting to observe is how Netflix content differs from primetime TV programming in terms of social discussion. With prime time tv, viewers can live tweet along with the new episode every week and it offers a more real time experience. This model, however, is faltering as people become more and more likely to watch TV at a later convenience rather than tuning in live. Series like 13 Reasons Why, however, offer users the opportunity to watch the series at their own pace and engage in discussion when they are finished with the available season. Personally, I prefer traditional shows because there is less room for big spoilers, but it has been really interesting watching the social discussion around this particular Netflix series.
I’m so happy that someone decided to write about this topic. I watched the show because of all the buzz it was getting online and I have been following the conversations about it since. The show is a very debatable topic because while some love how honest it is, others are worried about how it is effecting viewers. I think that it’s a very important conversation and the show has brought mental health issues to everyone’s attention.
I love that you choose this topic! As someone who has seen the entire show, I’m glad I got the chance to see what social media was saying about it. In doing some searches on social media after reading your posts, I saw that a lot of the other negative posts surrounding the show were about improper trigger warnings for the series in general and for specific episodes. I also saw that in response to these comments, Netflix has decided to amend/increase the trigger and content warnings for 13 reasons why.
A really great book, I haven’t gotten the chance to watch the series yet. Absolutely a topic worth being discussed, yes it is fictional but mental health issues as well as other heavy hitting topics covered by the book, are not. I think it’s important to talk about them as an open discussion. The fact that there has been such a buzz around the book and series makes it easier to start the conversation.